Page:Ossendowski - The Fire of Desert Folk.djvu/352

336 should have to be copied in quadruplicate, my staff would have little time for anything else; yet I had to find some way out of the dilemma.

"'Well,' I finally queried, 'then can none of you, neither Ali nor Hadj ben Sliman nor either of you two others, receive or carry this paper?'

"'No, our kanouns do not permit it.'

"'But, if I were to give you four copies, would they form the single document sent for your consideration by the sultan?'

"'You speak justly, Sidi.'

"'Very well, then imagine that only one man came to me from the council, but such a one as should have from each party one head, one heart and one hand. If to such a one I should give a paper for him to take in his four hands, holding one of the four corners in each of them, could he carry it to the council in accordance with your kanouns?' 

"'Such a man with four heads, four hearts and four hands could receive the single paper from you, Sidi.'

"'Well then, it is quite all right; for you four may take this paper and carry it between you, with one at each corner, to the council. May Allah protect you!'

"After a short consultation the delegates decided they could do this and went off, with one holding each corner, to lay the communication from the head of the state before their associates.

"With regard to taxes," Colonel Pariel explained in answer to my question, "the sultan experiences no difficulties, inasmuch as the Koran commands the Faithful to pay tribute to their Master. Real trouble in this respect